Reducing and backing gearing.



No. 743,067. PATENTED NOV. a, 1903.

G. F. EVANS. 7'

REDUCING AND BACKING GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2a. 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Tu: "cams Ptrzns co. PNoTo-umo, wnumcron. uv c.

No. 743,067. A k PATENTED N013, 1903. G. F. EVANS. REDUCING AND BACKING GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. 1 903.

K0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

[N VEN TOR.

-- THE mamas Min :0. movouqn. wAwr-cfm. n

UNITED STATES iatented il'ovember 3, i903.

PATENT OFFI E.

chosen F. EVANS, or NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

REDUCING AND BACKING GEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,067, dated November 3, 1903.

Application filed March 23,1903.

. T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. EVANs,a citizen of the United States,residing at Newton,in

the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Reducing and Backing Gearing, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

The invention is especially adapted for use on motor-carriages, and is an improvement upon the invention described in my application for Letters Patent of the United States filed April 15, 1902, Serial No. 103,060.

The invention can best be understood by reference to the drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein Figure 1 is a View in end elevation of the gearing. Fig. 2 is a detail view in elevation, showing some of the parts of Fig. 1, but without the clutch therein shown. Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section and side elevation of the gearing. Fig. 4 isa view in plan of the gearing of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view in plan of the carriage-axle, sprocket-wheel, sprocketchain, &c., of Fig. v

The invention comprises an engine-shaft actuated by the engine, as described in my said application for Letters Patent, or in any other desired way and having a sprocketwheel loosely mounted thereon between a driving-pinion and a loose gear on the engine-shaft, each of which has a clutch connection at will with the sprocket-wheel and a counter-shaft suspended from the engineshaft, having a sprocket-wheel between two gears fast to the shaft and one of which has a clutch connection at will with the sprocketwheel and a sprocket-chain extending about both sprocket wheels and also about a sprocket-wheel upon the axle.

Each sprocket-wheel is free to turn in either direction on its supporting-shaft and is positively actuated when connected by clutch with adriving pinion or gear. It thus follows that the sprocket-wheels may be driven at a fast speed or at a slow speed or may be turned in a reverse direction, according as the sprocket-wheels are engaged with their Serial No. 149,158. (No model.)

clutch member d, of the sprocket-wheel D,

which is free to turn when unclutched upon the engine-shaft. This sprocket-wheel D also hasa clutch member d, with which the clutch member a of the gear-wheel E is adapted to engage. The gear-wheel E is free to turn upon the engine-shaft and also has movements lengthwise it to engage its clutch member with that of the sprocket-wheel.

The driving-pinion B meshes with the gearwheel F, fast to the counter-shaft G, which counter-shaft is mounted in bearings in a hanger g, suspended from the engine-shaft A and held stationary by the bracing and tension rods 9, (see Fig. 3,) extending from the lower end of the hanger to the carriage-axle H or other suitable support.

Upon the counter-shaft G is the sprocketwheel I, which is free to turn upon it and which has a clutch member t'. There is also mounted upon the counter-shaft the gearwheel J, which has a clutch member j. This gear is fast to the shaft g, but has endwise movement upon it in order that this clutch member may engage the clutch member of the sprocket-wheel when desired.

.The gear J meshes with the gear E on engine-shaft.

The sprocket-chain K extends about the sprocket-wheels D and I, is in continuous engagement with both of them, and also extends about the sprocket-wheel k on the carriage-axle H.

When the driving-pinion B is engaged with the sprocket-wheel D and the gear J is disengaged from the sprocketwheel I,the sprocketwheel D drives thesprocket-chain K, the sprocket-wheel I is free to turn on the shaft the G, and the sprocket-wheel k and axle H are turned to propel the carriage-axle forward at a high speed or at the speed of the engineshaft A, When the driving-pinion B is disengaged from the sprocket-wheel D and the gear J from the sprocket-wheel I and the gear E is engaged with the sprocket-whee1 D, the sprocket-chain K is then driven by said sprocket-wheel, the sprocket-wheel I being free to turn on its shaft, and the sprocketwheel 7c and the carriage-axle H are then turned at a slow or reduced rate of speed as compared with that of the engine-shaft A. When the driving-pinion B and the gear E are both disengaged from the sprocket wheel D and the gear J is in engagement with the sprocket-wheel I, then the driving power is communicated to the sprocket-chain K in reverse direction from that communicated by the sprocket-wheel D, which is then free to turn upon the engine shaft A, and the sprocket chain then causes the sprocketwheel 7t and carriage-axle H to turn in a reverse direction or that necessary for the backing of the vehicle and at a rate of speed reduced as compared with that of the engineshaft.

The driving-pinion B may be connected with the engine-shaft by a clutch similar to that described in my said application or any other form of clutch, whereby it may be thrown into and out of operative engagement with the engine, or the sprocket-wheel 70 on the carriage-axle may be connected with it by a clutch adapted to throw it into and out of operative relation with it, or both these clutch connections may be used, if desired.

Any form of clutch may be employed, and I do not need to specifically describe any here. Also any means for moving the clutch members of the driving-pinion B, the gear J, and the gear E into engagement with the respective clutch members of the sprocketwheels D and I may be used. It will be understood that each of the sprocket-wheels D and I is free to turn on its respective shaft and not to be turned by it except when engaged by one of the driving pinions or gears which cooperate with it.

It will be seen that by the arrangement of gearing herein described a simple and effective means is provided for supplying to the driving-axle the three speeds which are necessary for operating a motor-vehicle successfullyviz., two forward and one back, a fast forward speed which communicates substantially the full speed of the engine to the driving-wheels, a slow forward speed as much slower than that of the engine as may be desired and without lessening the speed of the engine, and a backing speed slower than the fast speed without reducing the speed of the engine. Of course the engine may be run at different speeds and these results be obtained without stopping the engine, whatever its speed may be.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a reducing and backing gearing for motor-carriages and other uses, the combination of a driving-shaft, a sprocket-wheel free to turn thereon, having clutch members on each side, a drivingpinion adapted to be driven by the driving-shaft, having means of engagement with a clutch of said sprocketwheel, a gear free to turn on said shaft, having means of engagement with a clutch of said sprocket-wheel, a counter-shaft, a gear to drive the same, adapted to mesh with said pinion, a gear driven by the same, adapted to mesh with said first-named gear, a sprocketwheel on said shaft, free to turn on it and having a clutch adapted to be engaged by said driven gear, the sprocket-wheel being in line with the sprocket-wheel of the engine-shaft,an axle or shaft, a sprocket-wheel thereon, and a sprocket-chain common to the sprocketwheels of the engine and counter-shaft and to the sprocket-wheel of the axle.

2. In a reducing and backing gearing for motor-carriages and other purposes, a shaft, a sprocket wheel, free to turn thereon, a hanger mounted upon the shaft, a countershaft carried by the hanger, a sprocket-wheel free to turn thereon, a driving-pinion, and a loose gear on the first-named shaft, having means of engagement with the sprocket-wheel of said shaft, two gears on the counter-shaft,

one meshing with the pinion and the other with the loose gear, the said gear also having means of engagement with the sprocket-wheel on the counter-shaft, a carriage-axle or similar shaft, a sprocket-wheel upon it, and a sprocketchain running over the sprocketwheels of the engine and counter-shaft and a sprocket-wheel on the axle.

3. The combination of the engine-shaft, a loose sprocket-wheel, a driving-pinion and a loose gear mounted thereon, a means for engaging either the pinion or loose gear with the sprocket-wheel, a hanger suspended from said shaft, a counter-shaft mounted upon it, 

